Bracket receptacle



June 16, 1953 o so 2,642,191

BRACKET RECEPTACLE I Filed Jan. 29, 1951 1 m Al 2* v II 2 a INVENTOR.

' Lawrence MHobson BY v @fiiy.

Patented June 16, 1953 BRACKET RECEPTACLE Lawrence Milton Hobson, Portland, Oreg. Application January 29, 1951, Serial No. 208,41l

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an L-shaped bracket for attachment to the plane vertical surface of a kitchen wall, cabinet door, or the like, therewith to bound and to define a shelf-like receptacle for receiving and holding cook books, pot

holders, paper napkins, used paper sacks, or any,

other flat household items which people wish to save and to have readily accessible, which would otherwise be stored in drawers and shelves of a kitchen, bathroom, or hallway.

The motto of the neat modern housewife is, a place for everything and everything in its plate. In furtherance of this motto, modern homes are equipped with large numbers of closets, cabinets, drawers,and shelves in which and'upon which the thousand-and-one items of daily living are kept; Still, in spite of the large number of storage areas so provided, flathousehold items and equipment continue toaccumulate in odd places about the house. Over the years, such an accumulation exceeds the household storage capacity and creates an unsightly clutter in corners, on tables and in odd places. This is a source of never ending irritation to the neat housewife. In balm of this irritation, I have turned my inventive thoughts and experimentation toward the provision of added, neat and inexpensive shelf and storage facilities for use in the kitchen, hall, bathroom, or elsewhere about the home.

By way of example, an exploratory look about the kitchen of atypical home will reval many small, out-of-the-way areas which are available as storage installation spaces. Thus, even though the kitchen walls may be covered substantially by cabinet, shelf, and drawer structure, small vertical areas behind the stove, above the sink, beside the refrigerator, against cabinet doors, and elsewhere, conveniently are available. Accordingly, my novel shelf-like receptacle primarily is intended for installation in such areas. Further more, it is my intention to provide a receptacle which is susceptible of easy installation so the housewife herself may install the same.

To this end, one object of my invention is to provide an oblique, L-shaped bracket adapted to be secured to the plane vertical surface of a wall, cabinet'door, or the like, to'bound and define therewith a receptacle of right triangular cross section. The integral body member of vrny bracket includes a 11001 portion defining one leg of the triangle, a resilient holding platedefining the hypotenuse, anda flange portion pendent from the floor' an'd parallel the plane surface of the wall for ease in attaching the bracket. Thus,

when mounted, the wallor othervertical surface forms the other leg of the triangle cross section whereby household items are held securely in placebetween this surfac'e'or leg and the triangle hypotenuse.

It is a further object of my invention to pro- .vide, for a receptacle of this type, a holding plate which is resilient and which is biased toward engagement with the wall surface whereby objects resting on the floor portion yieldably will be gripped and will be pressed against "the wall by the upper'portion of the'plate.

Yet another object'bf my'invention is topro vide a small L-shaped retention bracket pendent from the aforementionedfioor member and yield ably pressed in engagement with the outer surface of the holding plate. This retention bracket serves two functions in: that it presses against the holding plate in aidof the grip or'yieldable bias thereof and it serves as a second, somewhat smaller, receptacleto hold similar, but smaller, items against the outer surface of the plate.'Thus, smaller household items do not become lost or: obscured from view-asthey' would if held by the large bracket receptacle.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be set forth in the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation 'of my receptacle showing the relative sizes of the large resilient holding plate and the small retention bracket, the latter being pressed against the outer surface of the former;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the empty receptacles as they appear when mounted against a plane vertical surface such as a wall, cabinet door, or the like; and v Fig. 3 is a side view similar to Fig. 2 but indieating the manner in which several common, 'flat household itemsare held against the wall by the large,'resilient holding plate and against the outer surface of the holding plate by the small retention bracket.

Toward the provision of a simple, inexpensive receptacle structure, I prefer to assemblemy device from two oblique, L-shaped bracket elements I and 2. The first such element is alarge bracket member I having 'a holding plate portion ll, a

floor portionor member! 2, a pendent flange portion or member [3, and a protruding finger grip portion M. The second such element includes a small, L-shaped retention bracket 2 having a hold portion 2 l a floor portion 22, a securing flange 23, and a convex grip portion 24. The large bracket element I is adapted for ready attachment to any means of rivets 25 fastening the securing fiange 23 to the fioormember I2.

Within the scope of' my inventive concept, any lightweight, durable material such as sheet alu-' minum, steel, or plastic may be utilized. In View of the uses to which my bracket is to be put, however, it is desirable that the holding plate I I and hold portion 2I be resilient and flexible in order to grip and frictionally to engage fiat household items. In the preferred embodiment, the bracket elements I and 2 are formed from high-tensile strength, spring aluminum having a satin finish body of shiny appearance. Such a material and such a. finish possess the advantage of having an attractive eye appeal. complementary to the color scheme of most kitchens. and bathrooms.

In use, the large bracket element 1 is secured to the plane vertical surface of a kitchen or bathroom wall, cabinet door, or the like 3. by means of the screws I6. When secured in place, the bracket and wall, together, bound and define a right triangular cross section as indicated in Fig. 2. Thus, the wall surface 3v is one leg of the triangle, the floor I2 is another leg and the holding plate I I is the triangle hypotenuse. Further, it is to be noted, the small bracket element 2 defines, together with the large bracket element l, a somewhat similar triangle cross section (see Fig. 2). Thus, the hold portion 2! is the hypotenuse and the floor portion 22 and holding plate II are the legs of this second triangle. It is these'triangle cross sections which lend to my receptacles a superior ability to grip and hold objects deposited therein.

By way of example, I'have shown both of the bracket elements in operative position with re spect to several fiat household items in Fig. 3. The items so held may be pot, holders, as indicated at 4, or they may be small tablets or the type indicated at 5. Optionally, of course, a large variety of items will suggest themselve to'the housewife. ment I' efilciently-will'grip and hold cook books, paper napkins, newspapers, used paper sacks, or a phone book. The small bracket 2, on the other hand, will hold recipe notes, pencils, coupons, stamps, Or other, somewhat smaller household items. In any event, the exemplary pot holders 4 may be inserted by gripping the protruding finger grip portion I4 between the thumb and forefinger to pull the resilient holding plate II away from the wall. Thereafter, the pot holders 4 are dropped into the receptacle until they rest on the fioor memberor portion I2. When the finger grip portion I4 is released, the'inherent resiliency of the holding plate portion I I, as aided by the triangle cross section structure, forces the upper surface of the plate against the pot holders 4 securely to grip and hold the same in place against the wall 3. If, at this time, the small bracket 2 is not in use,'the inherent spring-like resiliency of the hold portion 2I aids the resiliency of the holding plate II in gripping the pot holders 4; If, on the other hand, other items, such as the small tablet 5, are placed between the holding plate II and the hold portion 2|, these other items, also, will be held tightly in place.

For example, the large bracket ele- 1 4 In service to the objects of my invention, it will be noted that the absence of side portions, the use of thin resilient sheet metal, the use of a triangular, structural disposition of elements, and the minimum use of fastening devices such as rivets, screws, and handles, all are directed toward the attainment of an inexpensive yet efficient structure. The relative small size and novel shape of my receptacle is of iurther utility in allowing the housewife to utilize. the empty vertical areas presented by the wall spaces behind the stove, above the sink, beside the refrigerator, or against cabinet'doors. Accordingly, each of the structural features of my invention are directed toward elimination of the unsightly clutter which accumulates in corners, on tables, andin Odd. places and toward the release of other shelf and drawer spaces for the truce attainmentofthe housewifes motto, a place for everything and everything in its place.

' I. claim:

1.- An oblique L-shaped bracketior attachment tothe plane surface of a wall, cabinet door, or. the like to bound and to. define therewith a receprtacle of right triangular cross section, comprise ing an integral elongated body having a floor member defining one leg of the triangle, 3, h,old-. ing plate defining the hypotenuse, and a flange member perpendicular to and pendent from the floor member, said fiange member being pierced by attachment apertures, for mounting said bracket, and a small L-shaped retention bracket carried by said floor member oblique to said hold ing plate and defining with the latter a second receptacle, said retention bracket terminating in abutment with said holding plate.

2. A bracket adapted to be mounted upon a plane surface, to bound therewith a receptacle of triangular cross section, comprising an integral elongated body having afioor member defining one leg of the triangle, a holding plate means defining the hypotenuse, and, a flange member perpendicular to said triangle, leg for attaching the bracket to said plane surface, said holding plate means being resilient, yieldably to press against said plane surface at a point spaced from said floor member, and a small L-shaped retcne tion-bracket carried by said floor member oblique to said holding plate and defining therewith a second receptacle of similar cross section and similar resiliency, said resilient'retention bracket pressing against said holding plate means to, aid the press of the latter against. said plane surface.

3. An oblique L-shaped bracket adapted to be mounted upon the plane surface of a wall, cabinet door, or the like to bound therewith a receptacle of right triangular cross section, comprising an integral elongated body member having a floor portion adapted to lie horizontal to define one leg of the triangle, a holding plate portion defining the triangle hypotenuse, and a flange portion perpendicular to said triangle leg, said flange portion having means for attaching the bracket to said plane surface to prevent lateral movement of the body member relative to the plane surface, said holding plate being resilient, yieldably to press against .said plane surface at. a point spaced from said floor thereby frictionally to engage objects deposited in the receptacle, said holding plate terminating in a protruding finger grip portion by means of which said plate may be pulled away from said plane surface, and a small L-shaped retention bracket carried by said floor portionoblique to said holding plate and References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Name Date Claussen Feb. 15, 1881 Number 6 Name Date Clark Sept. 5, 1882 Campbell Mar. 16, 1897 Brush Jan. 27, 1903 McKelvie Apr. 2, 1940 Concannon May 7, 1946 Wyse Oct. 3,1950 

